Audio coordinated visual indicator

ABSTRACT

An audio-coordinated visual indicator device reducing vehicle operator distraction associated with using a communications device during vehicle operation. The visual indicator being placed within the operator&#39;s field of view and provides a synchronized visual display associated with the output from the communication device. Providing an apparent visual anchor for the incoming sound freeing up the operator&#39;s mental resources, reduces distraction and allows greater attention to be placed on operation. Comprising of a receiver; a visual indicator connected to an output of the receiver having an attribute that varies according to the received signal from the communication device.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication Ser. No. 60/970,461, filed Sep. 6, 2007, the contents ofwhich are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates, in general to a hands free communicationdevice apparatus for a use in a vehicle during vehicle operation.

The present disclosure relates, in general, to the field of audiocommunication devices; and, in particular, to an invention that reducesthe distraction that results from using an audio communication devicewhile operating any vehicle.

For example, a number of studies and anecdotal reports conclude thatusing a cellular telephone while driving is a major contributing factorin traffic accidents. One study found that using a cellular telephonewhile driving was more deleterious than alcohol intoxication.Consequently, some state and local governments have enacted laws thatregulate the use of cellular telephones and mandate that only “handsfree” cellular telephones may be used in moving vehicles.

These hand's free laws are predicated on the assumption that holding thecellular telephone in one hand while driving the vehicle with the otherhand distracts the operator. This is inherently fallacious since it iswidely know that many operators use only one hand while driving; andthat there is no evidence of one-armed individuals have higher accidentrates than the general population, all other factors being equal.

Existing inventions and these laws have not addressed the underlyingevolutionary psychological and physiological nature of human survivalmechanisms. That is, three-dimensional sound processing is the firstline of defense for survival since it allows the detection of potentialdangers from all directions, in all lighting conditions, and at greaterdistances than any other sense. It is the last faculty to go to sleepand the first to wake up. It is the reason the ears face in the samedirection as the eyes, forward.

The sense of hearing is so crucial to survival that it has priority withrespect to the brain's processing resources as the brain continuouslycompares the location, in three-dimensional space, and the content ofevery sound to memories of either safe or potentially threateningsounds.

Sound location is an inherent rather than a learned behavior. It is thereason that a vehicle operator listening to a person on his right willperiodically turn to the right as if to confirm the voice's source. Itis also the reason, if the person in back is talking, that a vehicleoperator may continually look in the rear-view mirror to the point ofcomplete distraction.

A subconscious decision is made for each sound as to whether or not, andhow often, a visual confirmation of the sound's location is required.This visual confirmation need be nothing more than the momentarilyshifting of the eyes' attention to something that appears to be insynchronicity with what the ears are hearing.

An evolved hierarchy dependent on the sound's content and locationdictates the level of attention, i.e. brain processing resources, eachsound receives. When viewed only with respect to a sound's location,this hierarchy is easily discerned.

Considered in ascending order, sounds within the peripheral vision whichcan be easily identified with a slight movement of the eyes are theleast mentally taxing. Next, sounds in back, once identified, only needto be continuously monitored for change. Then sounds directly in frontreceive a great deal of attention because they are the focus of the eyesand ears. And, at the top, demanding immediate attention is that uniquehuman attribute, the internal voice, which we can call the voice of theconscious mind.

The most distracting location for the sound generating portion of anyaudio communication device, in terms of mental resource allocation,would be covering both ears and excluding outside extraneous soundsbecause this situation mimics the sound of the internal voice orconscious mind. The next level distracting situation would be a deviceon or in one only ear that excluded extraneous sounds. After this, thenext distracting situation is a sound source that is away from the head,allows for extraneous sounds to enter the ears, and is omni-directional,which makes it devoid of clues as to the sound's location. The leastdistracting, compared to the above, is a device that is held in one handup to and near one ear because extraneous sounds are intermittent andthe device's position in the hand provides some tactical information asto the sound's location.

Until an apparent visual connection between the sound and its source ismade, a compounding feedback loop is created between a sound and theperception by the ears to the detriment of all other mental activity.The end result is less attention given to operating the vehicle.

Audio communications devices in vehicles will remain problematic untilthey satisfy the powerful evolutionary psychological and physiologicalhuman need to know a sound's source.

SUMMARY

Disclosed is an audio-coordinated visual indicator device that reducesvehicle operator distraction associated with the vehicle operator'susing an audio communications device while the vehicle is moving.

The visual indicator must be placed within the operator's field of viewand provide some kind of movement in synchronicity with the incomingsound from the auto communication device. It provides an apparent visualanchor for the incoming sound which frees up the vehicle operator'smental resources, reduces distraction and allows greater attention to beplaced on operating the vehicle.

The audio-coordinated visual indicator is comprised of an input devicecapable of detecting an audio-related signal from a communicationdevice; a visual indicator connected to an output of the input device,and the output having an attribute that directly varies according tovariations of a signal received by the communication device.

The audio-coordinated visual indicator may be comprised of any devicethat can visibly represent a sound in synchronicity with an audiosignal. It may include, but not be limited to, a light bulb, an LED, amechanical flag device, two or more light sources such as LED's arrangedin a pattern, or it could be a display screen image.

DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned features and objects of the present disclosure willbecome more apparent with reference to the following description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like referencenumerals denote like elements and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram according to one embodiment of theaudio-coordinated visual indicating device in accordance with thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 2 is another block diagram according to another embodiment of theaudio-coordinated visual indicating device in accordance with thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic plan view of an operator of a vehicle sittingat the steering wheel with a visual indicating located within theoperator's field of vision in accordance with the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is one embodiment of the visual indicator which includes adisplay screen image.

FIG. 5 is an embodiment of the visual indicator which includes a seriesof LED's.

FIG. 6 is a diagram of a human's field of vision, illustrating thevisual range by angle.

FIG. 7 is a diagram of a vehicle operator's field of view in a vehiclefurther illustrating potential visual indicator locations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

An audio-coordinated visual indicator device in accordance with thepresent disclosure is designed for use in a vehicle when the vehicle'soperator is using an audio communication device, such as, but notlimited to, a cellular telephone or 2-way radio.

In one embodiment of the audio-coordinated visual indicator device 200is shown in FIG. 1. The device 200 may include both a receiver 120A, anda visual indicator 110A in communication with and controlled by thereceiver 120A. The device may or may not include an audio output speakeror ear speaker output jack 130A.

During the use of the communication device 100, audio signals receivedby the communication device 100 are converted and routed, or otherwisetransmitted to one or more audio output device 130A that can reproduceor output sound at a decibel level loud enough for the operator to hearwithout putting the communication device next to his or her ear. In oneembodiment, the audio output device may be that which is normally usedto output sounds from a vehicle's stereo system. In another embodiment,the audio output device may be a dedicated speaker installed in thevehicle for the purposes of this disclosure. In another embodiment, itcould be built into a portable housing. In still another embodiment, theaudio output device may be a component of the communication device 100itself.

The received signal that is converted and transmitted to the audiooutput device is simultaneously routed, or otherwise transmitted to thevisual indicator 110A. The visual indicator 110A displays a visualrepresentation of the audio output 130A that varies directly inproportion to the receiver-routed signal received from the communicationdevice 100.

In one embodiment, shown in FIG. 2, an audio-coordinated visualindicator device 300 may include: a receiver 120B and a visual indicator110B. In this embodiment, the audio-coordinated visual indicator devicemay be provided in a housing or may be integrated within anentertainment system of the vehicle and provide for wirelesslyconnecting or coupling through the vehicle entertainment system's audiooutput 130B and to the communication device 100.

In one embodiment, a visual indicator 110C may be a single lamp as shownin FIG. 3.

In one embodiment, a visual indicator 110E may be one or more lightemitting diodes (LED's) as shown in FIG. 5.

In one embodiment, a visual indicator 110D may be an image displayedwithin the vehicle on a display screen as in FIG. 4. For example, adigital display that mimics a pair of lips could move to “mouth” a voicebeing received by the communications device. The visual indicator may beas simple as a single lamp that directly varies in intensity with thereceived audio signal.

The audio-coordinated visual indicator device can be placed anywherewithin the operator's field of view; however, positioning the visualindicator at an angle between 35 to 65 degrees of a central forward axisof the operator's field of view (As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 6) seems tomost effectively reduce vehicle operator distraction.

The audio-coordinated visual indicator device may be a portablestand-alone unit incorporating a wireless receiver 120A or 120B and thevisual indicator 110A or 110B.

In other embodiments, the audio-coordinated visual indicator could be anindicator connectable to the vehicle entertainment system. In anotherembodiment the audio-coordinated visual indicator could be completelyincorporated into the functionality of the vehicle'sentertainment/communication system.

There are many ways in which the audio-coordinated visual indicatordevice could communicate with the communication device 100. In oneaspect, the communication device 100 could physically couple to theaudio-coordinated visual indicator by way of a port. In another aspect,the communication device could wirelessly couple with theaudio-coordinated visual indicator device. For example, a “Bluetooth”connectivity between the communication device 100 and theaudio-coordinated visual indicator device 300, as in FIG. 2. Wheneverpairing is established, the visual indicator 110B could automatically beconnected in parallel with an audio output 130B and, upon receipt of asignal, to the communication device 100.

The audio-coordinated visual indicator has been described in terms ofwhat are presently considered to be the most practical and preferredembodiments. However, the audio-coordinated visual indicator need not belimited to the disclosed embodiments. It is intended to cover variousmodifications and similar arrangements included within the spirit andscope of the claims, the scope of which should be accorded the broadestinterpretation so as to encompass all such modifications and similarstructures. The present disclosure includes any and all embodiments ofthe following claims.

1. A display system for counteracting the distraction to an operator ofa vehicle having a conversation with a person outside the vehicle thedisplay system comprising: a communication device having anaudio-related signal; a speaker responsive to the audio-related signaland having an audio output; a display associated with the communicationdevice; the speaker having an audio output of spoken words, said spokenwords having characteristics of duration and amplitude; the displaydisplaying a direct representation of said duration and amplitudecharacteristics in a non-text to speech format at the same time thespeaker is outputting said spoken words; and the display beingpositioned within a vehicle operator's field of view during vehicleoperation.
 2. The display system according to claim 1, wherein thedisplay displays a direct analog representation of said duration andamplitude characteristics.
 3. The display device according to claim 1,wherein the direct representation comprises a single modulated light. 4.The display device according to claim 1, wherein the directrepresentation comprises an LED array.
 5. A display device forcounteracting the distraction to an operator of a vehicle caused by theoperator using a communication device during operation of the vehicleand having a conversation with a person outside the vehicle, the displaydevice comprising: a communication device having an audio-related outputsignal; a receiver capable of detecting the audio-related output signalof the communication device and said receiver having a receiver outputsignal; the receiver output signal representing spoken words, each wordhaving a duration and amplitude; a speaker responsive to the receiveroutput signal and having an audio output; a display responsive to thereceiver output signal; the display providing a visual representation ofthe duration and amplitude of the spoken words that varies in proportionto the receiver output signal, in a non-text to speech format, duringthe progress of the communication; and the display being positionedwithin a vehicle operator's field of view during vehicle operation. 6.The display device according to claim 5, wherein the device provides thevehicle operator with a visual reference for a presumed source of theaudio output.
 7. The display device according to claim 5, wherein thecommunication device is a cell phone and wherein the visual indicator isprovided on a display screen of the cell phone.
 8. The display deviceaccording to claim 7, wherein the display screen of the cell phone is atouch screen.
 9. A display device for counteracting the distraction toan operator of a vehicle caused by the operator using a communicationdevice during operation of the vehicle and having a conversation with aperson outside the vehicle, the display device comprising: acommunication device having an audio-related signal; a speakerresponsive to the receiver signal and having an audio output; a displaydevice providing a visual representation of the audio output durationand amplitude of the spoken words that varies in proportion to thereceiver output signal, in a non-text to speech format, during theprogress of the communication; and the display device being positionedwithin a vehicle operator's field of view during vehicle operation tovisually provide an apparent source of the audio output.
 10. The displaydevice according to claim 9, wherein the display is positioned within anangle between 35 to 60 degrees of a central axis of the operator's fieldof view.
 11. The display device according to claim 1, wherein thecommunication device is a cell phone and the third party is a person thevehicle operator is conversing with.
 12. The display device according toclaim 3, wherein the communication device is a cell phone and the thirdparty is a person the vehicle operator is conversing with.
 13. Thedisplay device according to claim 5, wherein the communication device isa cell phone and the third party is a person the vehicle operator isconversing with.
 14. The display device according to claim 7, whereinthe communication device is a cell phone and the third party is a personthe vehicle operator is conversing with.
 15. The display deviceaccording to claim 9, wherein the communication device is a cell phoneand the third party is a person the vehicle operator is conversing with.